As a National Association of Realtors GREEN Certified Realtor (yes, there is such a thing) I am constantly talking to buyers about “green” features and benefits. This is a huge topic but I will give you my thoughts. Green building can be broken down into three main categories. They are sustainability, energy efficiency and a healthy home. Of course in the perfect world we all would want to have these feature included in our new home. The challenge is that these beneficial and money saving features are expensive. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of buyers that want a green home. They love the idea that they are helping the environment, saving money on their utility bills and raising their kids in a health home. With that said, they often love it up to the point of seeing the cost or finding the not so green home with the incredible view. Green is one of those features that buyers place high on their list of wants but it often falls down the list as the trade-offs grow. From time to time I will work with a home buyer that has placed green building high on their list and they will not move off of that regardless of the cost or feature trade offs. This is a personal decision and one that will vary from buyer to buyer.
Is “green” building worth the $$$?
